Social Networking: True or False? Fabiana Pio Journalist ‘Basically, everyone is: brave on Twitter, happy on Facebook, successful on LinkedIn, creative on Instagram, a playboy on WhatsApp and single on Tinder.’ Unknown author ‘Happiness nowadays is directly related to the number of likes your posts receive and the number of followers you amass on social networks,’ says graphic designer Leonardo Avila, 33, right at the start of our interview when asked about his views on social media. At first this statement may shock many but unfortunately, when we analyse it carefully, we realize that it is not only part of our daily life but that we became a part of that reality. Recent studies have concluded that social networks can affect our self-esteem, our perception of the world, and the way we relate to one another. They can indeed influence us but it is up to us to decide how they affect us. ‘Nowadays people perceived as ‘happy’ are those who have thousands of followers and receive millions of comments. I used to do much more social networking than I do now. I decided to slow down when I realized how much of my time social networking was consuming. Currently I post no more than twice a week. I now value quality more than quantity,’ says Leonardo. As we navigate social networks, it is very easy to think that a particular blogger, for example, has a perfect life. What is often not considered are all the preparations involved in creating what you see; such as the time and effort invested in creating the perfect look (hair and make-up), money spent on clothes and accessories, time spent finding photo settings, and the thousands of photos taken until you get the perfect one. Not forgetting the finishing touches; the use of thousands of applications, filters, and image editors to get that perfect image. 104 100
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